Kerala News

SC notice to Pinarayi, 2 others in Lavalin case

Kochi: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and two others were served notices by the Supreme Court in connection with the SNC Lavalin Rs 374 crore corruption case.

The notices were served after CBI and a few others challenged the Kerala High Court order letting free Pinarayi and the two others, while directing three others to face trial.

In 2013, Pinarayi and all others were absolved by a special court for want of evidence. CBI challenged this in Kerala High Court which in 2017 absolved Pinarayi and two top officials A Francis and Mohana Chandran.

The court directed other officials, including Kasturirangan Iyer, R Sivadasan, K G Rajashekharan Nair, to undergo trial in the case.

Former Kerala State Electricity Board Chief Engineer Kasturirangan Iyer and others appealed against this in the apex court contending that all the accused, including Pinarayi, were equally accountable in the case.
The deal was signed when Pinarayi was Electricity Minister in 1995 for the maintenance of Panniar, Sengulam and Pallivasal power projects set up between 1940 and 1960.

Pinarayi is the first politburo member to be prosecuted. The case assumed seriousness when the then Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan gave his nod to prosecute Pinarayi in the case.